Put a Spell on You
by GretchenMaurice
Summary: "Do you have any plans this Saturday?" "Hm…Saturday. That's the 31st, right?" "I believe so." "I don't know. I'll have to check my schedule. What did you have in mind?" "I guess you'll just have to find out."


Glinda threw open the door of her apartment and all but skipped inside.

"Fiyero Fiyero Fiyero! Where are you? I have to tell you something!"

The Vinkan emerged from his bedroom. "What are you all excited about?" he asked, meeting her in the kitchen and taking one of the shopping bags from her.

Glinda set the rest of the groceries down on the counter and jumped up next to them, her legs dangling against the cupboards below. "I just had the most amazing idea!"

"While grocery shopping?" Fiyero crossed to the fridge and started putting stuff away.

"Yes! You want to hear it?"

"Sure, go for it."

"I'm going to get a tinder!"

The Vinkan stared at her. "Wait, seriously?"

"Why not?" Glinda pouted.

"It's just…you don't really seem like the hook up type…"

The blonde made a face. "I'm not making one for _sex_."

"Um, you do know that's what tinder is for, right?"

"Yes, but that's not what _I'm_ using it for."

Fiyero shut the fridge and stood up to lean against the counter. "Okay, so what _are_ you using it for?"

"To find a costume partner!" she said, kicking her legs back and forth.

The Vinkan blinked. "…Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously. What's the matter?"

"It's just…you realize it's only September, right?"

"Only? Fiyero, I have to find a partner, decide on a costume, buy supplies and make it, all before Halloween!"

"And it's…September."

"Exactly! September is right before October, and October is Halloween month!"

"Whatever you say, Glinda," he said, rolling his eyes. "I just think you're putting a lot of effort into this. I mean, tinder? Seriously?"

The blonde sighed. "Well, it's either this, or you and I could go together again as—"

"You know what? Maybe this is a good idea. Here, let me help you set up your profile."

/

Boq shut the door and let the backpack slide from his shoulder. He could hear Crope and Tibbett giggling from the other room—not always a good sign.

"What are you two up to?" he asked, walking into the apartment and finding the boys huddled together on the couch. They were looking at something on Crope's laptop, but Tibbett tilted the screen down before the Munchkin could see.

"That depends," he said, glancing up at Boq. "Where's Elphaba?"

"The library. Where else? She won't be back until dinner, at least. What's going on?"

Crope twisted around to grin at him. "Remember when we made her a tinder?"

The Munchkin snorted. "Of course I do. It took days just to convince her to look at it, and when she did, she matched with that Avaric moron."

The boys shrugged. "So the first run wasn't the most successful," said Tibbett.

"But all great plans fail at least once," Crope added.

Boq raised an eyebrow. "She deleted her account months ago."

"That, my dear Boq, is where you are wrong." Crope exchanged a look with Tibbett. "She told _us_ to delete the account. So we took the app off her phone, but we kept the account. Just in case."

"Our little experiment," Tibbett said. "And it paid off."

"How so?"

Crope lifted the laptop screen for Boq to see. The Munchkin just shook his head.

"Elphaba is going to kill you."

"But just look at this girl, Boq," Tibbett said with a pout. "She's so cute!"

"…She's still going to kill you."

/

It was past midnight when Elphaba returned to her apartment that night. She was only slightly surprised to find all three of her roommates still awake. Crope and Tibbett were tangled together on the couch, being oddly quiet. Boq was curled up in his chair in the corner, staring intently at his book.

The green girl raised her eyebrows but chose not to comment. Really, of all the things that went on in their house, this was relatively normal.

Still, there was some tension in the air as she settled into her own chair and pulled out her laptop. She could see Crope and Tibbett glancing up at her, then poking each other, then averting their eyes once more. Elphaba simply ignored them and continued skimming through her latest reading from Dr. Dillamond.

Boq was the first one to break the silence.

"Oh, will you just tell her already?" he said, snapping his book shut and glaring at the boys on the couch.

"Tell me what?" Elphaba asked, barely looking up. They exchanged a glance, then Crope cleared his throat.

"What are you doing this Saturday?"

The green girl raised an eyebrow. "Are you asking me on a date, Crope? Tibbett will be ever so jealous."

Tibbett snickered while Crope just shook his head. "Kind of. Just…not with me."

At this Elphaba set her laptop to the side and lifted her head to look at them. "What do you mean?"

"Well, we found someone who wants to meet you, so we thought it would be nice if the two of you could meet for coffee or something this weekend."

There was a brief pause. Elphaba brought her knees up to her chest and curled a little tighter into the back of the chair. "Very amusing, you too. Now is there actually anything going on, or do you just like to make up jokes?"

"Us? Make up jokes?" Tibbett put a hand to his chest. "How could you accuse us of such a thing?"

"We're being serious," Crope said, sticking an elbow in the other boy's ribs. "They want to meet you, this Saturday afternoon at the coffee shop inside the student union."

"Who in Oz would want to meet me?" the green girl asked. "And why are _you_ two coordinating all of this?"

"Well, we…"

"Oh, for Lurline's sake," Boq cut in. "Elphaba, they got on your tinder and matched you with someone."

"You _what_?"

"Thanks, Boq."

"Well you weren't going to tell her."

"Yes we were! Just…in a more gentle way."

"I told you to delete that months ago!" said Elphaba.

"Just hear us out, Elphaba," said Tibbett. "It's not—"

"I'm not going."

"But we already told her yes!"

"I don't care, I'm not—" Elphaba froze. "Wait…her?"

Slowly, Crope opened his laptop and pulled up the site. He moved to kneel beside Elphaba and passed her the computer. "Her name is Glinda Upland, and the only reason she made a tinder was to find someone to do a couple's costume with for Halloween."

"She got on _tinder_ to find a costume partner?"

"She said she wants to meet you," Crope said.

"It's not a date or a hook up," Tibbett said. "Just coffee and Halloween."

Elphaba stared at the laptop screen. The girl was gorgeous—there was no denying that.

"At least meet her," Crope insisted. "It could be fun."

The green girl shot him a look. "That's what you said the first time, and I ended up having to talk to that Avaric creep."

"Oz, is anyone ever going to let us forget that?" Tibbett muttered.

"No," said Boq.

"Come on, Boq, you want her to do it, too."

"I never said that," the Munchkin protested. "I only agreed that the girl was cute."

Elphaba's eyes flickered to the screen again, a movement that didn't go unnoticed by the others. Crope fought to keep a straight face.

"Come on, Elphaba. At least give it a chance."

"This is ridiculous."

"Half an hour this Saturday, and if it doesn't go well you never have to think about it again," Tibbett reasoned.

She stared at the girl's picture. Her eyes were the strangest color of blue—bright and dancing, yet with such a clear, piercing look to them. It reminded Elphaba, somehow, of the energy that hung around the sorcery building on campus.

"I'll…think about it."

She handed the computer back to Crope and gathered her things before stalking off to her room, shutting her door behind her.

"Yes!" Crope cried, jumping onto the couch and high-fiving Tibbett.

Boq rolled his eyes. "She didn't even agree to it."

"Come on, Boq. You saw her. She's totally going to do it."

"And if it doesn't go well?"

Tibbett grinned. "You have no faith in us. Just wait. Everything's going to be just fine."

/

"It'll be fine, Glinda."

The blonde bit her lip and glanced once more at the mirror. "You think I look okay?"

"Does it matter? It's not like this is an actual date."

"It always matters, Fiyero," she said, rolling her eyes. "Are you ready?"

"Should I go put on my bodyguard outfit?"

"Fiyero."

"What? That's the only reason I'm tagging along, isn't it?"

Glinda grabbed her purse and held it to her chest. "That's not true. I happen to enjoy your company."

"And you're afraid of meeting someone from tinder."

"Well…yes."

The Vinkan smirked and grabbed his keys. "Come on. Let's get this over with."

"Your enthusiasm is a little overwhelming, Fiyero."

"I'm sorry. I could stay home if you'd like."

"Oh, shut up."

/

Elphaba sat at a table in the corner, stirring her coffee absentmindedly—not that there was any sugar or creamer to mix in. But if she kept her eyes on the swirling liquid then they wouldn't keep flicking up to the door, waiting for a certain blonde stranger to walk in.

Why was she even here? This was completely pointless. More likely than not this Glinda girl wasn't even real. At best, she just wouldn't show up. But at worst…the green girl's fists clenched, and she reached up to rub at the scar on her shoulder, hidden beneath the sleeve of her sweatshirt.

She sighed and pulled a book out of her bag, silently cursing Crope and Tibbett as she cracked it open in front of her. The boys wouldn't ever want her to get hurt, but sometimes they were just too relentless. If she hadn't agreed to this, they would never let her hear the end of it.

"Are you Elphaba?"

The green girl started and glanced up. In front of her stood a tiny girl with curled golden hair. Her eyes, though even more striking than they had been in her pictures, darted around nervously. She wore leggings and an oversized grey sweater and gripped a simple white clutch. A pendant hung on a silver chain around her neck, but Elphaba couldn't quite make out what was etched onto it.

She realized that she had yet to answer. Ignoring the hot prickling at the back of her neck, she tilted her chin up and responded coolly, "Does the green not give it away?"

The blonde flushed lightly, and Elphaba wasn't sure if she should smirk or kick herself.

"I-I'm Glinda," the girl said. "Over there—see the Vinkan boy?—that's Fiyero. He, um, he wanted to meet you." Glinda's blush deepened as she spoke, and Elphaba realized that the poor girl was even more afraid than she was.

Elphaba nudged the seat across from her with her foot. "You want to sit?" As Glinda sat down, she worked up the courage to ask, "So how does someone think of _tinder_ to find a costume partner?"

Glinda offered her a tiny smile. "You must think I'm crazy."

"That seems a bit hypocritical, seeing that I agreed to meet you. Actually, I thought it was clever…if not a bit overenthusiastic."

"You'll quickly learn that Glinda here is overenthusiastic about everything." A tall, dark-skinned boy—Fiyero, Elphaba remembered—set two coffee cups down and held out his hand. "I'm Fiyero. Glinda and I live together."

"Elphaba." She shook his hand. "You'll have to pull up a chair."

"Oh, I was going to sit over there," he said, pointing over his shoulder. "I have some work to get done, and I'm sure you won't appreciate my commentary."

Fiyero wandered off, leaving the girls to shift around in their seats. Glinda wrapped her fingers around her cup and watched the steam float up through the lid.

"So…" Elphaba started. She cleared her throat and rubbed her palms against her jeans. "Halloween costumes?"

"You really want to do it?" The words left Glinda in a rush, and she quickly clamped her mouth shut and focused once more on her drink.

The green girl bit back a smirk. "Well we might as well talk about it, since we're here."

"Right." She raised a hand and rubbed her thumb over the pendant at her neck. "I don't know. I just love Halloween, and Fiyero isn't interested in going out this year."

"Are you two…?" Elphaba glanced sideways at the Vinkan who was sitting just out of earshot.

"Me and Fiyero? Oh, Oz no!" The blonde giggled and finally seemed to relax. "No, we're just roommates. Contrary to what some of my friends believe, you _can_ be friends with a guy without having feelings for him."

"Definitely," Elphaba agreed. "I get it. I live with three boys."

Glinda smiled, though it was still a bit shy. "So…Halloween costumes?"

/

"I hate to interrupt, ladies, but we've been here for almost three hours."

Elphaba looked up at Fiyero, then down at her watch. She had completely lost track of time, but the Vinkan was right.

"Sorry, Fiyero," Glinda said, grabbing her clutch and empty coffee cup. "I didn't mean to leave you over there so long. We just…" She trailed off as her eyes flitted over Elphaba's.

"Don't worry about it," said Fiyero. He studied Glinda for a moment, the corners of his lips twitching. "So, did you guys think of a good costume?"

"We have a couple of ideas, but we're not sure," said the blonde. "We're going to go shopping and see what we can find."

"She convinced you to go shopping?" he asked Elphaba. "I am so sorry."

But the green girl only grinned. "It's okay. I got to choose the store."

The Vinkan turned toward Glinda, eyebrows raised, but she simply stood and straightened her dress. "She says this place has some cool stuff. Where is it again?"

"Here, let me…" Elphaba grabbed a pen from her pocket and wrote an address onto a napkin. Beneath it she scribbled a series of numbers. "There's the address…and my number, in case…you know." She stood and handed Glinda the napkin. "Of course, I'm not sure if we'll find anything to go with…"

She looked down and gestured to herself, but Glinda shook her head. "I think the green is _gorgeous_."

The blonde froze, her cheeks turning red, then started fumbling with her clutch, stuffing the napkin inside. Elphaba felt her own face heating up and she turned away to toss her cup in the trash bin. When she turned back around Fiyero was walking toward the door. Glinda shifted from side to side and looked up at Elphaba.

"So I guess I'll…text you? We can figure out a time and…"

Elphaba grabbed her bag and nodded, desperately hoping that her face wasn't as flushed as it felt. "Yeah. That sounds good."

"Okay. I'll…see you later." Glinda's arms twitched but she took a step back, offering a tiny smile to the green girl instead.

"See you."

Glinda hurried away before she could embarrass herself any further. She caught up with Fiyero outside the coffee shop, and the two began walking home. As soon as they were out of sight of the front door, Glinda groaned and buried her face in her hands.

"I can't _believe_ I just said that."

The Vinkan was fighting hard not to laugh. "You mean you don't think the green is _gorgeous_?"

"No, of course I do! I just can't believe—wait, what are you looking at?"

Fiyero was staring at her, the grin spreading across his face. "You…you actually _like_ her, don't you?"

Instead of answering, Glinda walked faster. Fiyero laughed and hurried to match her pace. "You do! You have a crush on her! So _that's_ why you let her pick the store. Oz, you've got it bad, don't you?"

"Fiyero?"

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

/

"So?"

Elphaba was completely unsurprised when Tibbet's voice greeted her at the apartment that evening.

"So what?" she asked, toeing off her shoes.

"How did it go?"

"How did what go?" Elphaba refused to look at any of the boys as she made her way to the living room and sat down in her usual chair. Tibbett rolled his eyes and looked at Crope for help.

"Come on, Elphaba. You're not fooling anyone."

"I don't know what you're talking about.

"You were gone for three hours!"

The green girl shrugged. "For all you know, she could have stood me up and I was just enjoying some alone time."

"Yes, but you're still blushing," Boq mumbled from across the room, never looking up from his book. Elphaba scowled at him.

"So are you going to see her again?" Crope asked.

Elphaba opened her mouth to answer, but at that moment her phone buzzed. She pulled it from her pocket and glanced at the screen.

 _Hey it's Glinda. Just making sure you didn't give me a fake number or something. :)_

"She's blushing again," Tibbett whispered.

"Shut up," Elphaba said, stuffing the phone back in her pocket and marching off to her room. It was all the explanation the boys needed.

As soon as she was alone, Elphaba texted Glinda back.

/

A couple weeks passed before the girls saw each other again. Though Glinda kept an eye out everywhere she went, the only green she ever saw was from the leaves, and even those were turning quickly.

October had arrived at Shiz, as crisp and colorful as ever. By the time the girls set a date to meet at the store Elphaba had chosen, the entire town was screaming _Halloween._ As Elphaba made her way downtown Saturday afternoon, she couldn't turn onto a street without seeing some sort of pumpkin, ghost, or spider web.

The green girl was distracted, and she was starting to wish she hadn't agreed to meet Glinda again. She couldn't help but think that, no matter how hard they searched, they would never be able to find costumes. At least, _she_ wouldn't be able to. She was sure Glinda could wear rags as a costume and still look fine.

The knots in her stomach tightened as she neared the store. It was a run-down little place, nestled almost unnoticeably between a hookah bar and the abandoned front window of what used to be a jewelry store. Faded, peeling letters displayed the name _Lost Oz Treasures_ above the door,and right below that stood a very skeptical-looking blonde.

"Unimpressed, blondie?"

Glinda jumped as Elphaba approached. "Hey. Um, no. I've just…never been to a…"

"A thrift store? No, I suppose Miss _Upland_ wouldn't have ever seen a place like this." Elphaba moved past her to open the door, grinning when Glinda hesitated. "Come on, it's not diseased or anything."

"If you say so," she mumbled. But she stepped past Elphaba into the shop. "It's so crowded," she said.

"You can find pretty much anything in here," Elphaba said, following her inside. "And it's cheap."

Glinda had never cared too much about _cheap_ —in fact, before Shiz, she had been convinced that the more expensive it was, the better. But she wasn't the spoiled little Frottican girl she had been then, and it wasn't long before she started to see the appeal of the place.

It was far bigger on the inside than she would have ever guessed. Most of the first floor was taken up by racks of clothes, crammed full with every sort of garment imaginable. A corner of the room was lined, floor to ceiling, with hundreds of shoes. Off to the right were shelves upon shelves of used books—which, Glinda noticed, the green girl kept eyeing. Near the back was a rickety-looking staircase, surrounded by various chests or chairs, that led up to Oz knew what. And that was just the beginning. Everywhere she looked there were old objects scattered around: toy cars with faded paint jobs, leather gloves with the fingertips cut off, matching salt and pepper shakers, purses that had gone out of style decades ago, ornate, dust-covered mirrors and picture frames.

"Most of the clothes are down here, although we might find accessories or something higher up. The second floor is mostly furniture and dishes, and the third is almost entirely books and puzzles and stuff."

Glinda nodded, staring across the room. She drifted toward one of the clothes racks and started picking through it. "I still don't have any good ideas," she said. She pulled a long green dress off the rack, tilted her head, then sighed and put it back.

"Maybe inspiration will strike you."

"Maybe… Hey, what's that?" Glinda hurried across the room, disappearing into the sea of clothes.

"Well that didn't take long," Elphaba said to herself, wandering after the blonde. "What did you find?"

Glinda emerged in front of her, holding something out triumphantly. "Aren't they great? I mean, the left one is a little bent, but I can fix that easily enough. And maybe I'll add a bit of sparkle, just to make them shine a bit more…"

It was a pair of wings, obviously handmade yet handsomely crafted. Glinda untangled the straps and slipped them on. They were split in the middle, sort of like a dragonfly's, with the top half sticking out from her shoulder blades and the bottom half angling gracefully down behind her. They were made of a thin, shimmery fabric. Elphaba walked behind Glinda and searched for a tag.

"'Shiz Theatre Department,'" she read aloud. "I wonder how they ended up here."

"Who cares? They're perfect!"

The green girl shook her head, biting back a grin. Glinda shrugged off the wings and folded them neatly. She looked up hopefully at the Elphaba.

"That's it! I'll be a faerie!"

Elphaba looked at the racks around them. "Okay, but what goes with a faerie? And what could I possibly wear? The only colors I don't clash with are black, navy, and brown."

The blonde simply stared at her for moment, her head tilting to the side. Her eyes searched Elphaba's face, and the green girl found herself looking down and to the side, avoiding her gaze.

"Wait here," Glinda said before darting off again. Elphaba shifted her weight from foot to foot and ran her fingers up and down the strap of her bag. The thrift store was mostly empty, though she could hear the ceiling creaking above her head as someone wandered the second floor.

"Elphie! Come here!"

The green girl made her way through the racks, following the sound of her voice. "Elphie?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at the shorter girl.

Glinda shuffled her feet, then thrust an armful of fabric at her. "W-what do you think of this?"

Elphaba took the material and held it up. It was a rich, dark brown, soft to the touch and far lighter than she expected. Curious, she draped it across her arm, studying the contrast. Despite herself, her eyes widened.

"Oh, Elphie, it's so beautiful!"

Elphaba stared at the fabric, dazed. She opened her mouth but no sound came out.

"Just imagine a gown made out of this!" Glinda squealed, bouncing up and down. "We could make it really old-fashioned, with the long flowing sleeves, you know? Oh, it's perfect! I can be a faerie, and we can make you a dress out of this and make you an elf princess!"

Elphaba blinked, snapping back into focus. "A princess?" she scoffed, handing the fabric back. "Now you're just being ridiculous."

"No, just think about it! You're already tall and thin—the perfect build for it. We can get you a crown—a tiara or something. Oh, and if you do your hair like—"

"And I'm leaving," Elphaba announced, turning around. Why did she ever agree to this ridiculous idea? Oz, she could hear Crope and Tibbett laughing already.

Glinda let out something like a yelp and chased after her. "Wait! Please, just—" She grabbed Elphaba's wrist and pulled her to a stop. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you. We don't have to use that idea. I just thought it'd be gorgeous."

Elphaba glared at the ground. "I am not _gorgeous._ My skin is _green._ I don't do my makeup or hair because there's no point. I'm not beautiful. I don't wear beautiful things."

The blonde's eyes softened. "Why…why would you think that?"

"Glinda, look at me. It's _true._ " Elphaba sighed. She knew she was being unfair, but… "Look, I'm sorry I got your hopes up. I just don't think we'll be able to find anything."

"Let me try."

The green girl glanced up. "There's no point."

"Let me try," Glinda said again, her voice soft. Her fingers slid down Elphaba's wrist until she was holding her hand. Both girls glanced down at their hands, then back up at each other. "That fabric is perfect—I saw your face earlier, I know you agree. We can figure something out."

"No matter what we do, I'll still look like a freak."

Glinda squeezed her fingers. "I don't want to do anything to make you uncomfortable. If you still feel that way Halloween night, then I won't ask you to go out with me. But before you say no, just…let's try. Please, Elphie?"

Elphaba told herself to look away, but it was too late. As Glinda's shining eyes locked with hers, she felt her resolve start to disappear.

"This is never going to work," she mumbled.

The blonde grinned. "Have some faith. You won't be a beautiful elf princess. You'll be…" She stepped back and tilted her head to the side. "A striking, intimidating queen. People will see you and tremble in fear."

Elphaba shook her head, but a corner of her mouth quirked up.

/

The light was fading quickly as they walked back to campus together. Glinda swung her bags in one hand, the other one coming up to fiddle with her necklace.

"What's on that charm?" Elphaba asked before she could stop herself. She bit her lip, embarrassed, but the blonde smiled up at her and held the pendant out for her to see.

"It's a blueprint."

They stopped walking. Elphaba reached out and took the charm from her to get a better look. There was indeed a blueprint etched onto it, impossibly intricate.

"Of what?" she asked.

"My house." Glinda flushed lightly. "I drew it when I was ten."

"This is incredible." The green girl met her eyes, brows raised.

Glinda's blush deepened. Elphaba could practically feel her skin heating up beside her hand. A lock of blonde hair fell from behind her ear and brushed against Elphaba's knuckles.

The green girl pulled her hand away, swallowing hard. "So, um, you're an architecture major I'm guessing?"

"Y-yeah." Glinda tucked the hair back behind her ear. "And a sorcery minor. What about you?"

Sorcery. Maybe that explained the strange, glowing blue in her eyes. "I'm a life science major, history and religion double minor."

"Religion? I didn't think you were particularly spiritual."

"I'm not. But my father and sister are, so I just sort of grew up with it."

"Why stick with it, though?"

Elphaba shrugged. "I may think it's a bunch of nonsense, but the cultural and historical impact is still interesting."

Glinda considered it. "I could see it. Last semester I took a class centered entirely around designs in religious structures. There was a lot more to it than I ever imagined."

They turned the corner onto an older street, with crowded, single-story houses and dirty, cracked sidewalks. The late afternoon sun filtered through what remained of the leaves above them, bathing them in red and gold. Glinda kicked her feet as she walked, sending leaves flying up around them.

"You sure you can get this all done before Halloween?" Elphaba asked, lifting one of their bags a little. After Glinda had convinced Elphaba to keep shopping, they had spent the next hour or so digging through the entire store, emerging triumphantly with four bags full of treasures like Glinda's wings, the material for Elphaba's dress, a spool of gold thread, half a dozen handfuls of fake autumn leaves, and a pair of brown flats that Elphaba had had to pull down from a shelf for the blonde.

Glinda shrugged. "Sure, no problem. My Ama taught me a bit of sewing, and the sorcery doesn't really hurt, either. I just hope I can get the embroidery right on the dress. I'm thinking leave designs, to match all the fake ones I'll sew onto my outfit."

Elphaba smiled and said nothing. Glinda glanced up at her, then back down at her feet crunching through the leaves. "I'll send you pictures, if you want. That way you'll know what everything looks like, and there won't be any surprises Halloween night."

She sounded so small, yet so genuine. Elphaba felt a tiny piece of her defenses disappear.

"…Thank you."

The blonde smiled down at her feet, feeling her cheeks burn in the chilly autumn air.

"So," Elphaba started. "What exactly are your plans for Halloween?"

"Well all the frats have parties that night. I usually stop by a few of those, but if you don't…"

The green girl shrugged. "I can handle the party scene. I've been to a couple before."

Glinda pictured the green girl slipping through a crowded dance floor, a bottle of Munchkinland brew in her hand, and was immediately curious. But at that moment they reached the fountain near the center of campus where they would part ways.

Elphaba stopped and turned toward her. "So…Halloween night?"

Glinda bit her lip. "Want to meet at my place, or yours?"

The green girl thought about Crope and Tibbett and shook her head. "Your place."

"Okay. I'll…see you then, I guess."

"Yeah. Here are your shoes and the fabric." Elphaba handed her the bags. "Are you sure you don't need help carrying…?"

"Don't worry about it. I live close. I'll text you?"

"Sounds good."

Glinda shifted all the bags to one hand and wrapped her free arm around Elphaba, squeezing her gently. "Thanks for putting up with me today. I've heard I'm a nightmare to shop with."

The green girl hesitated, but then carefully hugged her back. "I believe I'm the one who freaked out."

"But I was pushing you." Glinda stepped back and gave her a tiny smile. "I _am_ glad you're the one who responded on tinder."

Elphaba scratched the back of her neck. "Yeah, well, thank my roommates for that. They thought it'd be fun to get on my profile and set this up."

The blonde laughed. "They sound lovely."

"They're a handful, but sometimes it's worth it."

"Is this one of those times?"

Elphaba smirked. "See you on Halloween, blondie." She stuffed her hands into her hoodie pocket and walked away.

Glinda watched her go for a moment. Then, "Oh! Hey, Elphie?"

The green girl turned to face her. "Yeah?"

"It might not mean much, but…for the record, I think you're beautiful."

Then she started off, leaving Elphaba to stare at the way the late autumn sun was reflecting off her hair.

/

"Aw, look at her, Crope."

"Shut up," Elphaba said, not looking up from her phone as she entered the living room.

"That smile though. Wonder who she's texting?"

The green girl scowled at her roommates as she collapsed into her chair. "What will it take to get the two of you to leave me alone for the night?"

Tibbett, stretched across the couch with his feet in Crope's lap, tilted his head and studied Elphaba from upside down. "Complete and thorough details of every interaction you've had with Glinda so far."

"Keep dreaming."

"Well, then, I guess we still get to bother you."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. It was two days before Halloween, and the boys had spent the entire month trying to pry answers out of her. "I'm officially ignoring you."

"So what are you two gonna dress up as?" asked Crope.

"None of your business."

"So much for ignoring them," Boq muttered from his corner, grinning when Elphaba gave him a look.

"You know, one of these days they're gonna try to set _you_ up with someone."

The Munchkin grinned. "Maybe. But until then I'm just going to enjoy watching you suffer."

"Gee, thanks." Elphaba set her phone down and stood. "We still have some of that Pertha Hills jelly, right?"

"Top shelf of the fridge," said Boq.

The green girl wandered off to the kitchen. Crope waited until she was out of sight, then shoved Tibbett's legs off his lap and leapt for Elphaba's chair.

"What are you…?" Boq trailed off as Crope scooped up the green girl's phone.

"You're insane," Tibbett whispered, sitting up. "Open her messages, what have they been talking about?"

Crope scowled. "I don't know her password. Do you?"

"No. Boq?"

The Munchkin held his book up higher.

Crope grinned. "Boq, what's her password?"

"I don't know."

"Your ears are red. We know you're lying. Come on, tell us."

"No thank you, I prefer living."

" _Pleeaassse_ , Boq?"

"Leave me out of this."

"Come on, it's just—" Elphaba's phone lit up, cutting Crope off. He exchanged a look with Tibbett before hitting the answer button and lifting the phone to his ear.

"Hello? Oh, no, _Elphie's_ just in the other room. May I ask who's calling?"

Boq and Tibbett looked at each other, then back up at Crope, who was wearing his most devious grin.

"Ah, Miss Glinda, of _course_. So our Elphaba hasn't managed to scare you off yet?"

"Crope!" Elphaba appeared from the kitchen, eyes flashing murderously. "Give me my phone!"

Crope shuffled back to stand behind Boq's chair. "So, Glinda, how are the costumes going? Elphaba won't tell us anything."

"Crope!" she hissed, darting across the room to reach him. He dodged her, biting back a laugh.

"Really?! How in Oz did you convince her to wear a _dress_?"

Elphaba reached him, yanking her phone from his grip. Her skin had darkened from her neck up and her eyes were practically sparking as she marched off.

"Hey, it's me," she said.

"Elphie?" The blonde sounded half-amused, half-relieved.

"Yeah. Sorry about that. I should know better than to leave my phone around those idiots."

"I heard that, _Elphie_!" Crope called from the living room.

Elphaba stepped into her room, refraining from slamming the door behind her. "Please tell me he didn't say anything embarrassing."

"Not at all. He just asked about the costumes. Although…I'm guessing I wasn't supposed to tell him?"

"No, it's fine. They would have found out sooner or later."

"I know you think they're a handful, but your roommates seem really cool."

Elphaba had to smile at that. "I'd agree with you, but then they'd never let me live it down."

"Understandable."

The green girl sat on her bed and curled up against the wall. "So, what's up? Why did you call?"

"Oh, no reason really," said Glinda. Elphaba could hear the smile in her voice, flirty and teasing. "I was just wondering…"

"Yes?"

"Do you have any plans this Saturday?"

Elphaba looked up at the ceiling. "Hm…Saturday. That's the 31st, right?"

"I believe so."

"I don't know. I'll have to check my schedule. What did you have in mind?"

"I guess you'll just have to find out."

A jolt ran through Elphaba, and she sincerely hoped that Glinda couldn't hear her inhale sharply. She cleared her throat. "What time should I come over?"

"I think the earliest party opens at ten. So…eight o'clock? Ish?"

"Okay. See you then."

Glinda giggled. "No need to sound so eager."

"Don't worry. I'm just saving all my excitement for the day of."

"I'm sure. Bye, Elphie."

"Bye…" Elphaba held her breath for a second before hanging up. She took a minute to collect herself, then, phone tucked safely in her back pocket, she stood and headed for the living room, fully intending on smacking Crope over the head with the heaviest book she could find.

She would have to thank him someday. Tibbett, too. But for now, hitting him would suffice.

/

The next two days ticked by slowly, with Elphaba getting more and more nervous every hour. Even the boys seemed to sense her anxiety and backed off.

Halloween found the green girl shut in her room, alternating between pacing and curling into a tight ball in the corner of her bed. Three times she picked up her phone and scrolled to Glinda's number, but she could never bring herself to call the blonde and cancel.

The scar on her shoulder itched, and she rubbed at it absentmindedly.

Truthfully, she knew she was being ridiculous. Glinda was clearly harmless, and Elphaba had learned to take care of herself since freshman year. But still, there was a whisper in the back of her mind, telling her this was a bad idea. It was the same part of her that had vowed to never fully trust anyone again.

At five o'clock there was a soft knock on her door, and Boq peeked inside. "You busy?"

Elphaba set down the book she wasn't reading and shook her head. Boq slipped into the room and sat beside her on the bed, holding something out to her.

"Happy Halloween," he said. It was a caramel apple, wrapped in orange plastic with a black bow wrapped around the stick. "They were handing them out on campus."

"Thanks." Elphaba twirled the treat between her palms, then leaned over to set it on her desk. The bed creaked as Boq shifted next to her.

"If I say something, will you promise not to get mad at me?"

Elphaba sighed. "What is it?"

Boq bit his lip. "Look, I know you're nervous about tonight. And I know you have every reason to be."

The green girl scowled and reached up to scratch at her shoulder. Boq's eyes softened as he watched her.

"But…I think this girl might be worth it. You like her—no, don't even try to deny it. We can all tell. You like her, and because of that you're doing crazy things like going shopping and dressing up on Halloween."

Elphaba closed her eyes and let out a breath. "What's your point, Boq?"

"My point is, you clearly have feelings for her. And I don't think you should let that slip away just because it's frightening."

"She wanted a costume partner." The green girl looked over at him. "That's all she asked for. There's no way she—"

"You don't know that, and if you make assumptions then you'll never know." Boq stood. "Give this a chance, Elphaba. You'll regret it if you don't."

She watched him go, hugging her knees tighter to her chest.

/

 _6:57_

Glinda tore her eyes away from the clock on the wall and tried to focus on the half-empty bowl of cereal that was her dinner. She could hear the quiet hum of the TV in the other room. With a sigh, she pushed away from the counter and wandered over to the living room.

Fiyero was sprawled out on the couch. He glanced up as the blonde leaned over the back, her eyes staring blankly at the television.

"How long until Elphaba gets here?" the Vinkan asked.

Glinda glanced at her phone. _6:59._ "About an hour."

"Ah. That's why you look so pale."

The blonde immediately placed a hand against her cheek, as if she could feel the color of her skin. "I do _not_. What's that supposed to mean?"

Fiyero grinned. "Aw, you're nervous. So cute."

"Shut up," she huffed. "I'm not _nervous_ , I'm just…"

"Worried? Anxious? Vaguely afraid that something will go terribly wrong?"

"You know, you're not really helping."

"Oh, come on." Fiyero rolled his eyes. "There's nothing to be worried about. She totally has a thing for you. It's not like she's going to cancel or anything."

"I'm not worried about her standing me up," the blonde said quietly. Fiyero shifted to sit up, but she straightened and avoided his gaze. "Are you doing anything tonight?"

"Are you subtly asking me to get out of the way for the evening?"

Glinda shifted her weight. "…I'll do the dishes?"

"Deal."

She grinned and bent over to kiss him on the cheek. "It's only for a couple hours."

"Yeah, yeah. When will you be home tonight? Or will you?"

"Fiyero!"

"What? It's a legitimate question."

Glinda seriously hoped her face wasn't as red as it felt. She shook her head and headed to the kitchen, scooping up her cereal bowl as she passed the counter. "Whatever your filthy mind is thinking, you're wrong."

"Whatever you say, Glinda."

"Shouldn't you be leaving?"

The Vinkan laughed, but he got to his feet and headed to his room. Glinda took a deep breath and turned on the faucet. A few minutes later Fiyero walked through, his bag slung over his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around Glinda's shoulders.

"Have fun tonight," he told her. "You'll be fine."

She leaned her head against him and smiled down at the cup she was rinsing out. "Thank you."

He squeezed her gently before letting go and heading for the door. Glinda shook the cup a few times to flick most of the water out, then set it on the counter next to the bowl and spoon she had already washed. She glanced up at the clock as the door latched shut behind Fiyero.

 _7:04_

It was going to be a long hour.

/

Glinda finished the dishes and went to the living room. She turned the TV off, straightened the pillows on the couch, and stacked all the magazines and newspapers into a neat little pile. She glanced at the clock.

 _7:16_

She wandered to her bathroom and splashed water on her face. Then she shuffled through all her cabinets, pulling out various eyeliners and lipsticks. She opened the deep green eyeliner she had bought a few days ago, but her hands were trembling far too much to do anything more than test the shade and wash it off again. She set everything on the counter and left the room, pulling out her phone to check the time once more.

 _7:23_

She sat down on the living room floor and touched up her nails—emerald with gold tips. She picked at her hair and wondered how hard it would be to put up. She laid her and Elphaba's costumes out on her bed. She smoothed the fabric of Elphaba's dress until the skin on her palms started to tingle. She sprawled across the couch and stared at the ceiling, pretending that she couldn't hear the drawn out ticking of the clock in the kitchen.

And finally, _finally_ , just as she glanced at her phone yet again— _7:53_ —the doorbell rang.

Glinda nearly fell off the couch in her haste. She scrambled to her feet, smoothed her shirt, and hurried to the door.

"Trick or treat." Elphaba greeted her with a half-smile. She wore black boots and leggings and her hands were stuffed into the pocket of her oversized Shiz hoodie. She was a paler green than the last time they saw each other, but Glinda still had trouble keeping herself from staring. The blonde felt her neck heating up as she put on a smile and beckoned Elphaba inside.

"Cute," she said, "But I don't have any candy."

"Oh, well then this is your lucky day." Elphaba pulled her hands from her pocket and opened her palm to reveal a fun-size twizzler. "Crope and Tibbett made sure to stock me up before I left."

Glinda grinned and took the candy. "I love your roommates."

The green girl simply rolled her eyes. "I suppose someone ought to. So where are the costumes? You stopped sending me pictures a week ago."

"I just wanted to build the anticipation," the blonde said excitedly, grabbing Elphaba's hand and tugging her back to the bedroom. "I haven't done much since you last saw. Just the embroidery on your dress and a few final touches to my skirt." She let Elphaba go as they walked into the room. "Do…do you like it?"

Elphaba had thought, with the pictures, that she'd be prepared for whatever costume Glinda had created. But none of the photos did the outfit justice. What had once been a bag full of fabric was now a gown that made the green girl's mouth hang ever so slightly open.

She was vaguely aware of Glinda hovering somewhere behind her, watching her nervously, but she couldn't think of a response. Instead, Elphaba walked over to the bed and ran a hand over the dress. "It's…gorgeous," she said quietly. "It's…"

 _Too much,_ she thought, taking a step back. _I could never wear something like this._

"Oh, no you don't," Glinda said, coming up beside her. "You promised you would at least try it on."

"But…"

"Fiyero's gone, so no one else will see you. Please, just try it? For me?"

Apparently those were the two magic words, because Elphaba's resistance immediately melted. "…Fine."

"Yes!" Glinda nearly squealed. "The bathroom's a mess with all my makeup lying out, so I'll go change in there. There's a mirror on the closet door, just there. I'll be right back!" She scooped up her own dress and ran off, closing the door behind her.

Elphaba took a deep breath, wiping her palms on her thighs. Slowly, she pulled off her sweatshirt and grabbed the dress, sliding it over her head.

It fell naturally over her body, and she only had to shift it around for a second or two to position it right. She closed her eyes and refused to look over at the mirror. The fabric was impossibly soft against her skin. The sleeves were long and flowing, as was the skirt, but nothing felt weird or baggy.

There was a quiet tap on the door.

"Go ahead," Elphaba called, eyes still screwed shut.

She heard a soft gasp. "Oh…Elphie…"

Elphaba's fists clenched at her waist, but she felt a small hand wrap around one of hers and ease her fingers open.

"Look in the mirror, Elphie," Glinda breathed.

The green girl bit her lip and eased one eye open. But then she caught sight of what was in the mirror, and both eyes opened wide.

Her dress fit perfectly, both flattering and elegant. The material seemed to make her skin glow a far deeper emerald than she had ever been. The skirt was decorated with gold thread, sewn into leaves and vines that grew from the bottom up to the middle of her thighs. There was also a band of gold on each sleeve, a few inches above her elbows.

But none of this caught her attention. What really mesmerized Elphaba was the tiny blonde standing next to her.

Glinda's dress was a few shades lighter than Elphaba's. The top half hugged her torso and the skirt flowed outward to her knees. Instead of flowing and elegant, the blonde's outfit was playful and messy. The end of the skirt was cut to look tattered, and everywhere across the dress bunches of fake leaves and wildflowers were sewn on. She looked as if she had simply appeared out of the forest floor and was ready to enchant the world.

Glinda turned and grabbed her wings from the bed. She had fixed their shape and penciled in golden vines and leaves to match Elphaba's skirt. With a tiny smile, she slipped them on and returned her hand to the green girl's.

 _Magical indeed,_ Elphaba thought, staring into the mirror at the two of them and trying to ignore the way her palm tingled against the blonde's.

"So…?" Glinda fit her fingers between Elphaba's. "What do you think?"

Elphaba continued to stare at their reflections, watching as the blonde shifted from foot to foot and scrunched her eyebrows, and realized that she couldn't have turned back even if she wanted to.

"I think…" Elphaba swallowed. "I think that you're full of hidden talents."

"So…you like it?"

"Glinda, this is incredible."

The blonde squeezed her hand and Elphaba looked away from the mirror to meet her eyes.

"Well, go on," she said with a smirk. "I know you're not done yet."

Glinda's smile widened and she let go to hurry off to the closet. She returned with one of the bags from the thrift store and dumped its contents onto the bed. As the blonde sorted through the pile, Elphaba picked up her sweatshirt and pulled her candy out. She had asked if Glinda could sew a pocket into the dress, and the blonde had done so expertly. Even after Elphaba dumped a handful of candy into it, the pocket was almost unnoticeable.

"So I have some ideas for makeup, though of course you're fine without it. And I was looking up hairstyles online and there's this one braid thing I really want to try that would look _amazing_ with your hair—if it's okay with you, of course."

The green girl picked up a short sleeve of fabric, covered in more red and orange leaves. "What's this?"

"Oh!" Glinda took it and slipped it over her hand, pulling it up so it reached halfway up her forearm. Her fingers were left bare, but there was a hole for her to slip her thumb through. "It's, like, a glove thing. I have another one here, somewhere…there." She grabbed the glove's partner and slipped it on, then held out her wrists for Elphaba to see. "I don't know. I was bored and had leftover fabric."

Elphaba picked up a flower crown. "How in Oz did you have the time to do all this?"

"I get very excited about Halloween," the blonde said, blushing. She pulled the gloves off and tossed them back to the bed.

The doorbell rang again, and Elphaba looked up to meet her eyes. Glinda shrugged and walked out to the main room, Elphaba trailing behind her.

"Trick or treat!" Two little girls and a Monkey stood on Glinda's doorstep, all three dressed as witches and beaming up at the blonde.

"Oh, I love your costumes!" Glinda said excitedly. Then her smile faded. "But…I don't have any…"

Elphaba went to the doorway and knelt in front of the kids. "I choose trick."

"But we don't know any tricks," the girl on the left said, sticking her lower lip out.

"I do!" said the Monkey. "I can do a handstand!" She handed her bucket to one of the girls and demonstrated, holding herself up for a few seconds before falling down, causing all three of them to erupt in giggles.

"Very impressive," the green girl said seriously, digging into her pocket. "That definitely deserves some candy."

"Thank you!" the girls chorused, taking the candy from her. They raced back to the sidewalk where their parents were waiting.

Elphaba stood and straightened her dress. She felt a pair of bright eyes on her and turned toward the blonde. "…What?"

"N-nothing. Let's do makeup." Elphaba looked a little wary, so Glinda took her by the hand and led her to the bathroom. "Don't worry. You can sit in there with me while I do mine, and we'll just go from there."

They wandered back to the bathroom, where the green girl let out a low whistle. "Got enough stuff in here, blondie?"

"I wanted to make sure I had options," she said.

Elphaba took a seat on the toilet and watched as Glinda reached for her mascara. The blonde worked carefully, occasionally asking Elphaba her opinion on a certain color. Despite herself, Elphaba was intrigued by the whole process. She watched, mesmerized, as the blonde's hand swept across her face, powdering and drawing and styling. When she finished, she had painted tiny emerald vines at the corners of her eyes and, if the lighting caught her face just right, she sparkled with a subtle gold sheen.

The green girl shook herself as Glinda turned to face her. "What do you think?"

It took her a moment to find her voice. "Please tell me I'm exempt from this part."

"I won't make you do anything," Glinda said. She rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. "Besides, I would only give you a little mascara. Maybe darken your eyebrows a bit. It'll bring out your cheekbones."

Elphaba glanced at her face in the mirror. "I've…never done…"

"I could do it. You know, if you trust me with a brush near your eyes."

But the blonde was pouting slightly, possibly unintentionally, and Elphaba suddenly forgot how to say no.

"I guess…if you want to try."

"Really?"

"Just be prepared for me to change my mind and wipe it all off."

"Deal!"

As it turned out, Elphaba didn't wipe it off. Glinda was good at subtlety, and had it not been so unusual for the green girl, she would have never known she was wearing the makeup. But it did make her face more angled, and her eyes seemed brighter. Glinda bit her lip as she set the tube of mascara back on the counter.

"Wow, Elphie."

"That bad?" The green girl raised a brow at her, but Glinda just shook her head.

"Oh hush. You're gorgeous. Not to mention you look like you could kill someone."

Elphaba pressed her lips together in a tiny smile, clearly pleased.

/

The next couple of hours passed quickly. Glinda styled her hair until it was more wavy than curly and placed the flower crown at the top of her head. When she was satisfied with her own look, she knelt behind Elphaba on the bed and focused on her.

The green girl seemed to melt under her attention. As Glinda brushed through her hair—admiring how silky and soft it was beneath her fingers—Elphaba let out a sigh and slumped ever so slightly against her. Glinda grinned triumphantly and continued working. For a while she forgot whatever style she wanted to try and simply played around. Elphaba clearly didn't mind, though she didn't say anything either.

But then Glinda shifted around behind Elphaba, placing a hand on the green girl's shoulder for balance.

Elphaba hissed and jerked away from her. The blonde yanked her hands away.

"Sorry! Did I hurt you? What—?"

Elphaba turned to face her, rubbing her shoulder. "No, no, you didn't. S-sorry, it's nothing. I just… It's nothing."

Glinda tilted her head. "Is your shoulder hurt? I can—"

"N-no. It's not anything."

"It's obviously something."

"It's old," Elphaba said, looking down.

"But it still hurts?"

"No, it just…It's not a good memory."

Glinda sat back on her heels. "You can tell me. You don't have to, but…you can."

"It's not important," said Elphaba, shaking her head.

"Obviously it is, if it's still bothering you."

The green girl sighed. "It was just some stupid girls freshman year. That's all."

"They…hurt you?" Glinda's eyes were wide. Elphaba held her gaze for a moment, then reached up and pulled her dress to the side.

Instead of the smooth green of the rest of her body, Elphaba's shoulder held a tangle of thick, raised, silvery scars. Glinda winced at the sight.

"It was at the beginning of our first semester. This group in my history class invited me out to coffee, as a joke. I don't think they knew I was allergic to water, but…"

"You're allergic to water?"

Elphaba nodded, tracing the marks. "It burns me. I don't think they knew that to begin with, but it certainly didn't stop them when they found out."

"Elphie…"

"It's fine." Elphaba yanked the sleeve of the dress back up, covering her skin. "It doesn't hurt, really. I just get a little nervous."

"Well, yeah. No kidding." Glinda reached forward and tangled her fingers with Elphaba's. "Oz, Elphaba. If I had any idea…"

"It's not like there's anything you could have done, then or now."

The blonde stared at their hands. "Maybe not. Still, it must have taken an insane amount of courage to meet me at that coffee shop." Elphaba didn't respond, so Glinda squeezed her fingers. "I'm glad you did, though."

"Me too."

Glinda smiled gently at her. "Can…can I try your hair again?"

The green girl pressed her lips together, but she nodded. Glinda rubbed small circles across her back as she turned around and settled into place once more. It didn't take long for Elphaba to relax again, all of her defenses undone by the tips of Glinda's fingers.

She took her time with Elphaba's hair. She braided the extra gold thread into it, and the color looked lovely alongside Elphaba's dark locks. When the blonde sat back again, the hair was twisted and styled in and out, creating a sort of crown at the top of the green girl's head before flowing in long, thick braids down her back.

Elphaba studied her reflection as Glinda slipped on her shoes and grabbed her keys.

"I look…Glinda, this is…"

"Funny," the blonde said. "I never pictured you as the speechless type."

"Oh hush."

Glinda came up behind her and wrapped an arm around her waist. "We do look pretty good, don't we?"

"Mm. What time is it?"

"Ten-thirty, I think?"

Elphaba looked away from the mirror. "Alright. Let's go make everyone at the parties jealous."

/

The nearest frat house was a few blocks from Glinda's apartment, but the weather was nice enough that neither girl minded walking.

Music thrummed from down the street, and the porch was already overflowing with people dressed as zombies, princesses, and everything in between.

"Glinda!" someone cried out as they reached the front door.

The blonde turned to see who was calling her, and immediately stepped closer to Elphaba. "Hello, Pfannee."

"Oz, Glinda, I haven't seen you in _forever_!" A girl dressed in a tiny nurse's outfit ran toward them and flung her arms around Glinda.

"There's a reason for that," Glinda said under her breath, propping the other girl against the wall. "You smell like beer."

"Well _duh_. Oh, Milla will be so mad she missed you! You should go find Shenshen and say hi, though."

"I—"

"Actually, no, don't do that. She and this other guy went up to one of the bedrooms and—"

"Okay," Glinda said loudly. "It's been nice talking to you, Pfannee. You okay out here?"

Pfannee looked down at the bottle in her hand. "Yeah, I'm good."

"Great. Come on, Elphie." Glinda grabbed Elphaba's sleeve and led her inside. "Wipe that smirk off your face."

"A friend of yours?"

Glinda shook her head. "Not since freshman year. She and her crowd were vile. They probably still are. That back there was the most pleasant I've ever seen her."

"You don't say?"

"Oh, shut up."

They made their way through the crowd, using Elphaba's height to their advantage. The green girl led them to the living room, where she scooped two bottles out of a cooler and handed one to Glinda.

"Beer isn't really my drink…"

"It's fruity and has almost no alcohol." She popped one open against the counter. "Try it?"

Glinda took a sip and decided to keep it. She watched as Elphaba opened the second bottle and took a drink. "You really have done this before."

The green girl grinned toothily. "Surprised, blondie?"

"A little." Glinda looked her up and down curiously.

"What? What are you thinking?"

"I'm wondering if you dance."

"Oh, Oz…"

Glinda grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the room. They followed the music to a rickety staircase that led down.

The basement was a world of its own. Bodies were packed into the space, grinding in beat to the pounding of the speakers. Colored light flashed throughout the room. A handful of boys stood on a table near the back wall, shouting half-coherently along with the music.

Elphaba tried to keep the blonde in sight, but they were soon torn apart by the crowd. Glinda's fingers slipped from hers, and then she was gone.

The blonde spun around, but Elphaba had already disappeared. She stood, uselessly, on her toes, but everyone was at least several inches taller than her. The crowd pulled her toward the center of the room, and she let herself fall into its rhythm, still looking around every time a light flashed near enough for her to see.

A hand grabbed hers and pulled her to the side. Glinda turned, saw a flash of green, and stepped closer into Elphaba.

"Miss me?" the green girl said in her ear. Glinda wrapped an arm around her and pressed their bodies together, smirking when she saw Elphaba's cheeks darken.

/

They stepped outside for some fresh air and ended up simply walking down the street. Glinda pulled her phone from her dress and checked the time. _11:36._ Her skin was flushed from dancing, and the October night air felt amazing.

"Where to now?" Elphaba asked, passing her a piece of chocolate from her pocket.

"Umm, down this road." Glinda pointed. "There's that really big frat…um, which one is it…"

"I know what you're talking about," said Elphaba. She stuffed her candy wrapper back into her pocket and led the way.

This house was twice the size of the last one, and held about three times as many people. This time Glinda led them through the house and to the kitchen, where she poured them each two shots.

"You trying to get me drunk?" Elphaba asked after downing the first one.

Glinda opened her mouth to respond, but a hand at her elbow distracted her.

"Hey!" she said, turning to hug the redhead who had greeted her. Elphaba leaned against the counter for a minute. Then, bored, she took the second shot and wandered into the living room, catching Glinda's eye before she left.

"What's up, green girl?" One of the frat boys was lining cups up on a table. "I like the costume."

Elphaba glanced at him, noticing the bandana and eye patch. "Ditto."

He stepped back and pulled a ping pong ball out of his pocket, grinning at her. "You in?"

"Yeah, sure."

Back in the kitchen, the girl Glinda was talking to had wandered off, leaving her with two shots and no Elphaba. She downed one glass, grabbed the other, and wandered into the living room.

A group had gathered around the beer pong table. Glinda's suspicions were proved right as she slipped toward the front of the crowd. Elphaba was on one side of the table, and from the smirk that played across her face, she was winning.

Everyone cheered as the green girl made her last shot. Her opponent chugged his last cup and high-fived her as he stumbled away.

"I've got next game!" someone called as the cups were refilled. Elphaba looked up to scan the crowd, her eyes brightening when they landed on Glinda. The blonde raised her drink with a smile. She took the shot as Elphaba's attention returned to the table.

Glinda watched the next game for a few moments before slipping back toward the kitchen. Someone was kneeling in front of the fridge, pulling bottles out and placing them on the counter. Glinda tried to slip behind him, but he turned at just the wrong moment, knocking into her.

"Sorry!" she said, stumbling back a step. "I didn't mean to—"

"Don't worry about it, it was my bad." The boy got to his feet and closed the fridge. He wasn't dressed up, but he had a shirt with some superhero logo on it. "Nice costume. Can I get you a drink?"

Glinda held up her glass. "No, thanks. I was just putting this up."

The boy looked disappointed, but he took the glass from her and set it on the counter. Glinda gave him a quick smile and started to walk away, but he moved at the same time and they bumped into each other again.

"I'm Avaric," he said. She could smell the beer on his breath, but his eyes were alert as they wandered greedily over her.

"Glinda," she said. "And I should get back to my friend."

"Aw, come on." He backed her up until her hips hit the counter. "It's so crowded back there. Have a drink, stay here a bit."

The blonde tried to step to the side and get around him, but he leaned forward and gripped the counter on either side of her. Glinda scowled and opened her mouth to protest, but a flash of green in the corner of her vision distracted her.

"Elphie!"

"Glinda, there you—" The green girl froze as she stepped into the kitchen. "Avaric."

Avaric turned to face her, backing up so he was almost, but not quite, pressed against Glinda. "Green bean. Long time no see."

"Not long enough," Elphaba grumbled. "Come on, Glinda. Let's get out of here."

"Rude as ever, I see," he said. "Can't you go bother someone else? We're busy in here." His hand reached back for the blonde, but Glinda muttered something under her breath and caught his wrist before he could touch her. Electricity pulsed through her fingers. Avaric yelped and jerked away, every hair on his body standing on end.

Elphaba burst out laughing at the sight. Glinda skipped over to her, and together they wandered out of the house.

"That was vicious," Elphaba said when they were back outside.

"He had it coming." Glinda pulled at one of her gloves before adding, "You knew him?"

The green girl scowled. "Unfortunately."

"How?"

A sigh. "It was so dumb. You know how my roommates were the ones who made my tinder? Well, when they finally convinced me to actually use it, Avaric was the first person I matched with."

" _Seriously_?"

Elphaba's scowl deepened. "His profile was complete bullshit. But yeah. So we met up, went to dinner, and it took all of about three minutes for me to get up and leave."

Glinda looked over her shoulder at the house they had just left. "I would have deleted my account."

"I tried, but Crope and Tibbett…well, they're not very easily stopped. But at least my luck improved this time around."

The blonde smiled at the sidewalk. "So…where to now?"

It was past midnight, yet the bright moon and crisp air seemed to hold potential, and Glinda didn't want the night to end.

"I don't know," said Elphaba. "But I think I'm done with parties for the night."

"Me too…" Glinda took a moment to look around, then pointed. "If we go that way, we'll hit campus. Let's just walk around a while. I don't want to go home yet."

"Okay."

The Shiz campus was empty, and the streetlamps glowed warmly against the brick walkways. Glinda hopped up onto one of the low stone walls and started walking along it, holding her arms out for balance. There was a light breeze that sent the leaves swirling around her feet and cooled the slight burn in her cheeks. Elphaba reached up and grabbed her hand, silently slipping another piece of candy into her palm. The blonde giggled, squeezing her fingers in thanks.

When they were almost to the middle of campus, Elphaba reached back and started pulling at her hair. She ran her fingers through the ebony locks, undoing her braids until it fell in gentle waves down her back. Glinda slowed her pace, staring in wonder as the green girl's hair shone in the dim light.

Elphaba felt the blonde watching her and turned, raising an eyebrow. Glinda quickly looked away, turning her attention back to the path in front of them.

"Oh, Elphie, look! They actually have the fountain on!"

Elphaba looked ahead. The fountain in the main square, which was turned on exclusively for campus tour days and official events, was actually spraying water. Glinda ran forward, toeing off her shoes before stepping into the water. She stayed near the edge, where she was hit with nothing more than a light mist. Her feet kicked at the water and she spread her arms out, tilting her head back. The sight made Elphaba a little dizzy. The fountain's spray caught the light just right and sparkled around the blonde, whose cheeks were flushed and glittering.

Glinda stepped out a few minutes later, her eyes twinkling at the green girl. "Sorry," she said, picking up her shoes. "I swear, I act like I'm five sometimes."

Elphaba just shook her head, unable to come up with anything clever to say. Glinda looked down at herself. "Oh, the water. Don't worry. I know a drying spell." She passed a hand over her torso, whispering something strangely melodic, then held out her arms for Elphaba to see. "Ta da!"

The green girl continued to stare. The breeze picked up, brushing her impossibly soft dress across her skin. The fountain shimmered behind Glinda, and the blonde herself seemed to glow, her eyes dancing as she waited for Elphaba to say something.

"Come on," she said finally. "I want to show you something."

/

Everyone who knew the green girl knew she spent a lot of time in the library. Everyone who had ever taken the time to get to know the green girl, even just a little, knew that she had some way of sneaking into the library after hours.

No one in all of Oz knew how she did it.

"I've never been down here," Glinda said quietly, following Elphaba down a set of stairs tucked behind the building.

"I don't think a lot of people know it exists," Elphaba responded. They went further down into a sort of pit, filled completely with flowers and bushes and decorative grass.

"This is gorgeous," Glinda breathed. "And no one comes here?"

"One of Shiz's best kept secrets. I like reading down here. It's peaceful."

There were no lights, but the moon was bright enough to bathe everything in a silvery glow. Glinda turned slowly around, taking in the walking stones, the plaque beneath the rose bushes, and the small wooden bench beneath the library window.

"How did you find this place?" she asked. Elphaba was silent for a moment. She drifted over to the bench and climbed up on it. From there, she could easily reach the window. She pressed her palms to the glass and jiggled it around until it slid up.

"No one ever locks this window, so it's an easy way in and out of the library, whenever I want."

"Impressive."

Elphaba closed the window again and hopped down. "You know, you're the only other person to know about this."

"Not even your roommates?"

The green girl shook her head, and Glinda felt a rush of pride.

"I'm honored, Elphaba."

"You should be. And just so you know, you're sworn to secrecy now."

The blonde crossed her heart. "I'll never tell."

/

A while later, when Elphaba's candy had run out and Glinda was starting to shiver next to her, the girls finally faced the fact that they should call it a night. They found themselves back at the fountain, though it was no longer running.

"You don't have to walk me home, Elphie," Glinda said when the green girl stayed beside her. But Elphaba just shrugged, mumbling something about walking around alone late at night. Something fluttered in Glinda's chest, then, and a minute later she realized her fingers were intertwined with Elphaba's.

Not that either of them minded.

The lights of Glinda's apartment were off, though she could still see the TV flickering through the windows. Elphaba hesitated as they reached the door, looking down at their hands, wondering how inappropriate it would be if she leaned in and…

Glinda sensed the green girl's hesitation. She gave her fingers a squeeze, then slowly slipped her hand away. Elphaba's face flushed dark green, so Glinda stretched up on her toes and pressed her lips to a cheek.

"Good night, Elphie," she whispered.

She turned around, pulling her keys out, and Elphaba felt panic surge through her. She made a noise in the back of her throat and, without thinking, grabbed Glinda's hand again, spun her around, and kissed her.

"Shit! Oz, I'm sorry, I—" Elphaba jerked back, but Glinda wrapped her arms around her neck and pulled her back in. The green girl placed her hands on Glinda's waist, mostly to stop them from shaking, and Glinda leaned further into her, smiling into the kiss.

When they broke apart, Elphaba's skin was darker than ever. Glinda giggled and pecked her on the lips once more. "Good night," she whispered.

Elphaba let go of her and stepped back, a tiny smile playing across her lips. "Good night, Glinda."

She waited until the blonde was inside before walking away, unable to keep the bounce out of her step. As she wandered home—the campus still glowing with streetlamps and moonlight—she couldn't help but tilt her head up and grin at the sky.

It wasn't until she was almost to her apartment that she realized something. She pulled out her phone and opened her messages.

 _I left my sweatshirt at your apartment, didn't I?_

/

Glinda sat in the center of her bed, already changed into her coziest pajamas, fiddling with the ties of a Shiz hoodie that was much too big for her. Next to her, her phone lit up. She glanced at the screen, then at the sweatshirt, and grinned.

 _Yep,_ she typed. _Guess this just means we'll have to hang out again sometime._

She set her phone next to her pillow and went to hang the sweatshirt over the back of her desk chair. It smelled of scented oils and fresh parchment, like Elphaba herself, and Glinda had to resist the urge to pull it on over her night shirt.

She turned her lights off and crawled into bed. Just before her eyes slid shut, her phone lit up, displaying the green girl's name once more.

… _I think that can be arranged._


End file.
